do you stand by that -- those comments, senator hagel? >> well, senator, i stand by them because i made them. >> were you right? were you correct in your assessment? >> well, i would defer to the judgment of history to sort that out. >> the committee can deserves your judgment as to whether you were right or wrong about the surge. >> i'll explain why i made those comments. >> i want to know if you're right or wrong. that's a direct question. i expect a direct answer. >> well, if you would like me to explain why. >> i actually would like an answer, yes, or no. >> well, i'm not going give you a yes or no. i think it's far more complicated than that. and as i already said, i'll defer that judgment to history. as to the comment i made about the most dangerous foreign policy decision since vietnam was about not just the surge, but the overall war of choice going into iraq. >> ah. not just about the surge, it was about the overall war of choice going into iraq. right. so is john mccain trying to relitigate that? the overall war of choice going